Meanwhile, back at the hotel…
The room was filled with suffocating silence as all eyes locked on Jonathan, kneeling on the floor while cradling a little girl in his arms.
The scene looked unbelievable.
But what shocked everyone most was the fact that Jonathan somehow knew about their involvement with Mr. X. How?
No one had ever told the scumbag anything about their plans—or their dealings with Mr. X. So how did he know?
Patricia narrowed her eyes at Jonathan, suspicion burning in her gaze. Maybe this was Mr. X's trap, designed to make them slip up and reveal themselves so he could strike.
And she wasn't the only one with that thought. Everyone else was eyeing Jonathan with the same suspicion.
If that was the case, she wasn't going to let him get his way. No chance.
She was about to speak when a low, soft moan echoed through the room.
It was the little girl. She opened her eyes slightly, looked at Jonathan, and gave a faint smile before murmuring:
"Mommy…" she whispered, rubbing her eyes.
Everyone's eyes widened at the address.
Mommy? What the hell…?
Zach rubbed his ears, thinking he had misheard. But Jonathan's reply left him stunned.
Jonathan averted his gaze from Patricia and looked down at Tulip, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Yes, Tulip… Mommy is here," he said softly.
Everyone's mouth fell in astonishment due to the confirmation of the weird address.
Tulip sighed faintly. "Are we there yet?" she asked in a sleepy voice.
"Yes… we're here, Sweetie. We're finally here," Jonathan replied gently, caressing her cheek.
"Mmm… that's good…" Tulip murmured groggily. "Tulip still feels sleepy. I want to sleep now…"
"It's okay, Sweetie. Don't worry. Mommy's got you, alright?" Jonathan whispered.
Tulip hummed softly before closing her eyes again, drifting back into sleep.
Jonathan turned his gaze back to the others, who now stared at him with bewildered expressions.
He sighed. "I know… I have a lot to explain. Just give me a chance to talk, and I promise you won't regret it."
"Like hell we won't regret it! Are you even listening to yourself?" Alisha roared. "Do you think you can just show up here and demand something like that after everything you did, punk? Do you think we'll feel sorry for you because you came here with your weird child—who's obviously nothing but a bastard you picked up from the streets? Do you think we're that stupid?"
Jonathan's eyes blazed. "That's enough, Alisha! I've heard enough of your insults. You can insult me all you want, but don't you dare—don't you dare—call my child a bastard! Do you hear me?"
"Or what? If she's not a bastard, then what is she? Huh? Tell me!" Alisha shot back. "She's a bastard you had during your filthy escapades. If you think you can tie my sister down with her, you're wrong. Do us all a favor—take your bastard and get out! Don't ever show your filthy face here again!"
Jonathan's eyes narrowed with fury as he glared at Alisha. Rage surged through him. Tulip was his most precious treasure, the sacred light of his life—someone he would die for. And this girl… this brat… had just called her a bastard. Patricia's sister or not, he was ready to give her a piece of his mind.
He was about to stand, ready to lunge at her, when—
Wack!
Gasps echoed through the room.
All eyes turned to Alisha, who was now clutching her cheek, her eyes wide in disbelief as she stared at Patricia—the sister who had just struck her.
"Pa… Patricia…" Alisha murmured. "Wha… what… did you just slap me?" she asked, bewildered.
"Apologize." The single word command came from Patricia, her glare sharp and disapproving.
Alisha's eyes widened even more at the demand. "Patricia…" she whispered, her gaze questioning.
Patricia stepped closer, locking eyes with her firmly. "Apologize. You know what you did wrong. I won't ask again. Apologize."
Alisha glared briefly, then wiped away the tears that spilled down her cheeks—tears born of disbelief that Patricia had actually slapped her because of the scumbag. This was the first time Patricia had ever raised her hand against her, not since they were children.
She turned to Zach, but he quickly averted his eyes, staring awkwardly around the room.
She turned to Nicole, who met her with a disapproving gaze and a slow shake of her head.
Finally, Alisha faced Jonathan and stepped closer.
She bowed her head slightly and forced the words through clenched teeth. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called your daughter that awful name. For that… I am sorry."
Jonathan exhaled and nodded. "It's okay. At least you admitted your fault. I'll let it slide."
Alisha was about to roll her eyes and scoff, but Patricia's sharp, warning gaze froze her in place. She restrained herself.
Patricia sighed and turned to face Jonathan, still kneeling and cradling the little girl in his arms.
"Okay. Now that's settled. Alisha, please take Jonathan's daughter into your room and let her sleep on the bed. Her posture in Jonathan's arms must be uncomfortable, and that's not good for her."
Alisha immediately spun toward Patricia with an 'Are you kidding me?' look. But Patricia's firm gaze left no room for retort.
Alisha growled under her breath, then sighed before walking toward Jonathan to take Tulip from his arms.
"Here, let me have her."
Jonathan gave her a skeptical look but gently handed Tulip over. Alisha took the child and walked away toward the room.
Jonathan looked back at Patricia and murmured, "Thank you."
"Don't thank me just yet. You said you wanted to talk, and we're going to talk. So you'd better have something worthwhile to say—otherwise…" Patricia warned.
"Don't worry, Patricia. I promise what I'm about to say will be worthwhile. I promise," Jonathan replied.
"Good," Patricia said simply.
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed movement near the receiving area by the door. A figure paused at the entrance to the living room, eyeing the scene with a bewildered expression, before quietly slipping away toward the master bedroom.
Patricia smirked faintly, then turned to Nicole.
"I'm going to my room to freshen up a bit. Keep an eye on him. I won't be long."
Nicole nodded. "Of course."
Patricia glanced briefly at Jonathan before walking toward the bedroom.
....
Inside Patricia's Bedroom
Patricia softly opened the door and stepped inside.
Isaac stood with his back to her, staring out the window at the vast, lush green training grounds of the hotel.
Patricia sighed quietly, trying to steady her raging emotions.
Her mind was a storm of questions. Why had he ignored her texts and calls since last night? Had he seen her with Bernard—and was he deliberately ignoring her because of it? She needed answers, but not in anger. Calmly.
She drew in deep breaths, approached him silently, and stood behind him.
Neither spoke. Silence reigned in the room—cold, heavy, suffocating. Patricia hated it. She knew this silence too well.
He was avoiding her on purpose.
Patricia scoffed inwardly, disappointment stabbing at her heart. She had hoped she was mistaken, but now this… this cold silence said more than enough.
The only question that remained was why. Why was he treating her so coldly? Had she done something wrong? Or was he the one at fault, pushing her away? Either way, her heart boiled for an answer.
She sighed and opened her mouth to speak when—
"Yes. I did see you." Isaac muttered softly.
Patricia froze.
Isaac turned slowly and looked at her.
Patricia almost staggered from the shock. She had never seen Isaac like this.
His face was haggard, dark circles shadowing his beautiful eyes, and a tinge of red coloring his usually bright pupils—signs that he had been crying, and that exhaustion weighed heavily on him. His hair was ragged, his lips dry.
Patricia felt pain squeeze inside her chest. Was she truly the cause of this? Or had something else deepened his suffering?
"Well… what are you going to say?" Isaac asked quietly.
Patricia's eyes filled with tears.
"Isaac… I…" she began, but the words faltered. Her voice broke, and tears spilled unbidden down her cheeks.
Isaac exhaled and sat heavily on the bed. "You don't have to explain. I know… it wasn't what it looked like." He drew in a deep breath. "But… seeing you with him… in his arms… made me realize that I can still lose you. Despite loving you so much, I can still lose you to someone else—and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it."
"No… no…" Patricia whispered as she sat beside him, wiping her tears away. "No, Isaac. You will never lose me. You will never lose me to someone else. And I am so, so sorry that you had to see that. But I swear—and I promise—you are the only man I love. The only one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I know things have been complicated and hard, and we barely see each other often, but those little precious moments we share mean the world to me. They mean everything. And I don't ever want to let go of that. Never."
She cupped his face gently in her hands, turning it toward her. But his eyes refused to meet hers.
"Isaac, please… look at me. Look at me, please…" she pleaded.
Isaac looked at her with teary, bloodshot eyes—mirroring unspoken pain and guilt. He had promised never to make Patricia cry again, yet here she was, crying because of his jealousy and lack of trust in their relationship. He felt pathetic, and that hurt him most of all. He couldn't bear to meet her gaze, so he turned away—until Patricia gently pulled it back to her.
"Isaac… look at me," she whispered.
Isaac met her eyes, his own tears spilling down his cheeks.
"Isaac… baby, I love you," Patricia whispered. "I swear I would never look for anyone else but you. That's a promise I'll keep. Well, unless you—"
Isaac didn't let her finish. He crushed his lips against hers.
The kiss was long and deep, before they parted, breathless.
"Don't… don't ever think about that," he whispered against her lips. He took her hand and placed it over his chest, where his heart pounded furiously.
"You feel that?" he murmured.
Patricia nodded weakly.
"This heart will only ever beat like this for you, Sweeches. As if it wants to burst out of my chest from the love I have for you. And I promise I'll keep it that way. And I am sorry for doubting your loyalty in this relationship.
It's just that...due to the lack of adequate communication and time between us. I thought that I was pushing away. But now I see that it was just my own fear that made me feel that way. And I am sorry. I love you, Patricia. I always will. I love you."
"Oh, Isaac…" Patricia breathed, before cupping his face and kissing him again.
Her hands slipped around his neck as his arms wrapped firmly around her waist, drawing her closer. Their lips met again and again, kissing passionately, pausing only to catch their breath before continuing.
The room—once heavy with suffocating tension—was now filled with the warmth of love, as the two clung to each other, silent tears sliding down their cheeks.
A quiet promise. A whispered prayer. That they would always be each other's forever. That nothing, and no one, would ever tear them apart.
But in this chaos of hidden dangers, motives, and secrets…
Will it last?